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Legal and Regulatory Compliance Training

New DirectSTEP eCourses

Addressing Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy to Provide FAPE Under the IDEA and Section 504

This course trains staff on identifying chronic absenteeism and truancy, when your district's child find duty may be triggered, and when a chronically absent or truant student may be eligible under the IDEA or Section 504. Plus, the course outlines how to develop an educational plan and placement to ensure students receive FAPE.

Pub Code: 330091

Mandatory Reporting: How to Identify and Report Suspected Abuse or Neglect of Students With Disabilities

This course provides classroom-based educators and administrators with guidance on how to identify potential mistreatment of students with disabilities by parents or colleagues, and when to report the concerns. It also outlines guidelines to follow when reporting suspected mistreatment, including how to provide relevant and necessary information to protect the student and the district.

Pub Code: 330092

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ADMINISTRATORS

Using Universal Design for Learning to Improve Instruction and Assessment for All Students

This course explores how schools can make curricula and assessments accessible to students with a variety of interests and abilities through universal design for learning. It covers the background of UDL, ways to apply its principles and guidelines to instruction and assessment, and how to overcome barriers to learning.

Pub Code: 330004


What Every Administrator Needs to Know About Stay-Put Under the IDEA

This course reviews districts’ stay-put obligations, the identification of the student's "current educational placement," possible modifications to stay-put placements, the duration of stay-put rights, IEP reviews during stay-put, and stay-put issues affecting specific student populations.

Pub Code: 330029


Administrators' Responsibilities for Meeting IDEA Parental Consent Rules

This course reviews a district's duty to obtain parental consent before conducting certain IDEA-related activities. It will cover the definition of "consent," activities that require parental consent, the documentation of consent, the steps a district may take when a parent fails to give consent, and the steps a district must take when a parent revokes consent.

Pub Code: 330071


Mandatory Reporting: How to Identify and Report Suspected Abuse or Neglect of Students With Disabilities

This course provides classroom-based educators and administrators with guidance on how to identify potential mistreatment of students with disabilities by parents or colleagues, and when to report the concerns. It also outlines guidelines to follow when reporting suspected mistreatment, including how to provide relevant and necessary information to protect the student and the district.

Pub Code: 330092

The Privacy Act and the DoDEA: What Administrators Need to Know

This course teaches administrators of DoDEA schools the knowledge they need to protect the privacy of student records and comply with the Privacy Act's requirements. Geared for higher level staff, the course outlines how to appropriately address parents' record access and amendment requests, records disclosure to third parties, and documentation of such disclosures.

Pub Code: 330089


Steps for Determining a Student’s Eligibility Under the Other Health Impairment Category

This course helps IEP team members and other educators understand and properly apply the IDEA's eligibility rules to students with diverse health conditions.

Pub Code: 330072


Exiting Students From Special Education: Graduation, Aging-out, Ineligibility, and Revocation of Consent

This course explains the ways that a student's IDEA eligibility can terminate or end, and what procedural steps are necessary to exit students from special education.

Pub Code: 330074


Addressing Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy to Provide FAPE Under the IDEA and Section 504

This course trains staff on identifying chronic absenteeism and truancy, when your district's child find duty may be triggered, and when a chronically absent or truant student may be eligible under the IDEA or Section 504. Plus, the course outlines how to develop an educational plan and placement to ensure students receive FAPE.

Pub Code: 330091

AUTISM

Strategies to Keep Children With Autism Safe in School

This course explores the characteristics of autism that can lead students into unsafe situations and the most common dangers students with autism face, including wandering, bullying, and sexual misconduct. It also covers interventions to promote student safety and self-advocacy.

Pub Code: 330059


Evaluation, Eligibility, and IEP Development for Students With Autism

This course explores requirements under the IDEA when it comes to eligibility, child find, evaluations, and IEP team composition for students with autism. It also covers the development of the IEP, including how autism affects services, placement, and disciplinary decisions.

Pub Code: 330062


Students With Autism and One-to-One Aides: Best Practices for Educators

This course explores how schools can determine a student's need for a one-to-one aide and how to respond when parents request one. It also covers concerns involving aide selection and steps districts should take to ensure the aide doesn’t impede a student's independence.

Pub Code: 330066

Addressing Behavior of Students With Autism: A Teacher's Toolkit of Positive Intervention Strategies

This course explores how schools can proactively address the challenging behaviors of students with autism without resorting to using restraint and seclusion. It also covers the development of behavior intervention plans containing positive behavioral interventions and supports to prevent and address meltdowns.

Pub Code: 330063


Understanding the Unique Needs of Students With Autism: Intervention Strategies for Paraprofessionals

This course covers the characteristics, prevalence, and communication needs of children with autism, as well as research-based strategies and instructional practices that paraprofessionals can use effectively in the school setting.

Pub Code: 350012

BEHAVIOR AND DISCIPLINE

Addressing Behavior of Students With Autism: A Teacher's Toolkit of Positive Intervention Strategies

This course explores how schools can proactively address the challenging behaviors of students with autism without resorting to using restraint and seclusion. It also covers the development of behavior intervention plans containing positive behavioral interventions and supports to prevent and address meltdowns.

Pub Code: 330063


A Teacher's Role in the Manifestation Determination Review Process Based on IDEA

This course explores teachers' obligations with respect to the MDR process under the IDEA. It covers essential steps in the MDR process and the ways in which teachers can contribute to ensure the process complies with the IDEA and to assist the team in reaching an accurate conclusion.

Pub Code: 330008


Discipline and Placement Changes for Students With Disabilities Who Exhibit Violent Behavior

This course explains district and school administrators’ options for responding when a student who is eligible under the IDEA engages in violent behavior. In particular, it describes the avenues available to schools and the required steps for removing the student from his current educational setting on a long-term basis to ensure the safety of the student, the student’s peers, and school employees.

Pub Code: 330036


Developing and Implementing Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavioral Intervention Plans

This course explains when an FBA must be conducted for a child with a disability and how to conduct an FBA. It also covers how to develop a BIP, as well as when a BIP may be required under the IDEA following a disciplinary incident or when it may be necessary for a student to receive FAPE.

Pub Code: 330038

Legal Requirements and Practical Considerations for Identifying and Evaluating Specific Learning Disabilities

This course addresses the legal requirements for identifying and evaluating students who are eligible for special education due to a specific learning disability classification. It also covers the practical application of the law, including an explanation of diagnostic and clinical considerations when identifying SLDs.

Pub Code: 330061


Strategies for Identifying and Preventing Low-Level Aggression From Escalating in Your School

This course covers low-level aggression and its major role in setting the trend for increased aggression. It addresses what low-level aggression is, why it is tolerated in schools, and why it is a dangerous path that jeopardizes school safety and teaches students negative habits. The course also provides examples of low-level aggression and practical strategies to prevent it from happening.

Pub Code: 330082


Identifying and Responding to Bullying and Harassment Involving Students With Disabilities

This course provides strategies to craft bullying prevention activities that involve teachers, students, and administrators. It also explains how to respond to bullying of students with disabilities to prevent Section 504 violations, with examples of where staff commonly go wrong.

Pub Code: 330017

EVALUATIONS

Least Restrictive Environment: What Teachers Need to Know

This course explores education law as it relates to a student's LRE. It covers the purpose of the LRE requirement, the types of placements a district must make available for students with disabilities, and the need to consider supplementary aids and services. This course also reviews the processes for determining and documenting a student's placement on the LRE continuum.

Pub Code: 330006


Independent Educational Evaluations: Responsibilities and Procedures

This course examines what an IEE is and its role in the special education process. It explains when parents have the right to IEEs publicly funded by the school district, how districts should respond to such requests, and the criteria districts may place on the IEE.

Pub Code: 330007


Identifying Anxiety: When to Evaluate and Determining Eligibility Under the IDEA and Section 504

This course outlines best practices for identifying, locating, and evaluating students with anxiety that comply with the IDEA and Section 504. It also reviews how anxiety manifests, identifiers to watch out for, and how to determine when a student's anxiety qualifies as a disability. Finally, this course provides strategies and short real-life scenarios illustrating how to meet students’ needs with accommodations, supports, and services.

Pub Code: 330086

Legal Requirements and Practical Considerations for Identifying and Evaluating Specific Learning Disabilities

This course addresses the legal requirements for identifying and evaluating students who are eligible for special education due to a specific learning disability classification. It also covers the practical application of the law, including an explanation of diagnostic and clinical considerations when identifying SLDs.

Pub Code: 330061


Compliance and Practical Strategies for Educating Twice-Exceptional Students

This course provides an overview of how federal special education laws apply to academically gifted students with disabilities, or "twice-exceptional" students. It explains which students qualify as twice-exceptional, identifies common child find barriers, and discusses how districts can ensure compliant evaluations and eligibility determinations. This course also looks at ways to ensure those students receive all services to which they are entitled.

Pub Code: 330083


Evaluations and Reevaluations: Purposes, Standards and Procedures

This course examines the federal rules for initial evaluations and reevaluations, explaining the requirements evaluations and reevaluations must meet to appropriately assess students with disabilities. Additionally, this course provides practical tips school and district staff may use to ensure that their evaluations and reevaluations satisfy the standards established by the IDEA.

Pub Code: 330013

FERPA

How FERPA's Parental Consent Rule Impacts Education Record Privacy

This course focuses on the FERPA rule requiring school districts and other educational agencies to obtain prior written parental consent before disclosing education records to third parties. It covers who has rights under FERPA, the parental consent rule, and the steps districts must take prior to releasing confidential student information. This course will also review the exceptions to the "parental consent" rule.

Pub Code: 330025


Meeting FERPA's Parental Inspection, Amendment, and Notice Requirements

This course examines parents' right to inspect and review education records upon request and seek the amendment of inaccurate or misleading education records under FERPA. It covers the definition of education records, the parental access rule, the steps districts must take when they receive a parental request to amend a student's education records, and destruction of education records.

Pub Code: 330067

For Paraprofessionals: FERPA, Student Privacy, and Education Records

This course examines FERPA’s rule requiring school staff, including paraprofessionals, to obtain prior written parental consent before sharing education records with third parties. It covers who has rights under FERPA, the parental consent rule, and how these confidentiality requirements affect paraprofessionals. This course also reviews the exceptions to the "parental consent" rule.

Pub Code: 350026

IDEA

Identifying Anxiety: When to Evaluate and Determining Eligibility Under the IDEA and Section 504

This course outlines best practices for identifying, locating, and evaluating students with anxiety that comply with the IDEA and Section 504. It also reviews how anxiety manifests, identifiers to watch out for, and how to determine when a student's anxiety qualifies as a disability. Finally, this course provides strategies and short real-life scenarios illustrating how to meet students’ needs with accommodations, supports, and services.

Pub Code: 330086


Predetermination in the IEP Process: What It Is and How to Avoid It

This course describes the types of actions and communications by IEP team members that can lead to predetermination and/or predetermination complaints, as well as those they should engage in with each other and with parents to reduce predetermination claims. The course also details how to involve parents in the IEP process and document the district’s efforts to offer parents meaningful opportunities to participate.

Pub Code: 330088

Serving Parentally Placed Private School Students With Disabilities: Understanding Your District's IDEA Obligations

This course walks school and district administrators through providing the services and procedural safeguards that parentally placed private school students with disabilities are entitled to. You learn what to include in a student’s services plan, which issues to discuss during the consultation process, and more. You also discover how to respond when parents request evaluations or IEPs.

Pub Code: 330090


Determining Related Services and Accommodations for Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries

This course explains what traumatic brain injuries are, reviews IDEA and Section 504 eligibility requirements, and offers best practices in accommodating students with TBIs.

Pub Code: 330081

IEPs

IEP Implementation Strategies to be IDEA Compliant

This course covers implementation of the IEP of a student with a disability under the IDEA, including the impact of delays in implementation, the failure to implement minor versus material IEP provisions, and implementation of IEPs in non-school settings. This course also details practical strategies to address common implementation mistakes, such as using unclear language in the IEP and not providing relevant staff with copies of IEPs.

Pub Code: 330026


Requirements and Strategies to Facilitate Parental Participation in IEPs

This course covers parental participation in various aspects of the IEP development process under the IDEA: participation in meetings with respect to the identification, evaluation, and placement their child; the right to access their child's education records and to receive periodic progress reports; and the right to be represented by an attorney or advocate during an IEP team meeting. It also provides practical strategies to help districts comply with their responsibilities to ensure meaningful parental participation.

Pub Code: 330030


Discipline and Placement Changes for Students With Disabilities Who Exhibit Violent Behavior

This course explains district and school administrators’ options for responding when a student who is eligible under the IDEA engages in violent behavior. In particular, it describes the avenues available to schools and the required steps for removing the student from his current educational setting on a long-term basis to ensure the safety of the student, the student’s peers, and school employees.

Pub Code: 330036


Developing and Implementing Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavioral Intervention Plans

This course explains when an FBA must be conducted for a child with a disability, how to conduct an FBA, and how to develop a BIP, as well as when a BIP may be required under the IDEA following a disciplinary incident or when it may be necessary for a student to receive FAPE.

Pub Code: 330038


Best Practices for Home-Based Instruction for Students With Disabilities

This course provides an overview of home-based programs for students with disabilities, reviewing the differences between home instruction and homebound services as well as the placement procedures and implementation requirements for each type of program. This course also covers personnel qualifications and assignments, grading and course credit, participation in assessments, and participation in school activities.

Pub Code: 330041


Eligibility and Development of a Student's Extended School Year Services

This course examines ESY services under the IDEA, explaining the circumstances in which students with disabilities are eligible to receive ESY and the steps districts must take to make an appropriate eligibility determination. This course also covers how ESY must be included in the student’s IEP and issues related to a student’s ESY placement.

Pub Code: 330046


Early Intervention Services: Facilitating Transition From IDEA Part C to Part B

This course explores the steps for transitioning a student to Part B, including how the district works with the lead agency of the Part C program and parents to facilitate a smooth transition, how educators can help parents understand and accept the process, and time parameters and practical considerations for evaluating children and implementing their IEPs.

Pub Code: 330047


Meeting IDEA Requirements When Serving Students With Specific Learning Disabilities

This course covers issues that arise after a child has been deemed eligible for special education and related services because of a specific learning disability (SLD). It also provides tools and strategies for addressing students’ needs both in the IEP and in the classroom.

Pub Code: 330058


Using a Trauma-Informed Approach to Develop More Effective IEPs

This course provides a framework to apply a trauma lens to the IEP process, from referral to goal-setting. It covers trauma-informed practices, improving family engagement, and considerations for trauma screening and assessment, report writing, and identifying related services and accommodations.

Pub Code: 330060

Collecting and Using Data to Improve IEPs, BIPs and Section 504 Plans

This course covers why teams must collect data, who should collect the information, and how to collect it to improve IEP, Section 504 plan, and BIP development and revision. It also covers how to use data to make educational decisions. Note that this course does not delve into data collection in the RTI process.

Pub Code: 330065


Dispute Resolution and Available Remedies Under the IDEA

This course covers the five methods of resolving disputes that arise under the IDEA — mediation, due process hearings, resolution meetings, state complaints, and judicial review — and explains when each method is available and who may initiate the proceeding. It also reviews the remedies available both to parents and districts, and the circumstances under which specific remedies, such as attorney's fees, may be ordered.

Pub Code: 330069


IEP, 504 and MDR Meetings: Guidance for Staff Who Are New to Special Education

Designed for new general education and special education teachers, this course provides a foundational explanation of what takes place in meetings for special education students, whether they are students with IEPs or Section 504 plans or who are just being considered for special education eligibility.

Pub Code: 330078


From IEPs to IHPs: Special Education Plans Every Teacher Needs to Understand

This course provides an overview of the special education documents that new teachers need to understand to provide appropriate educational services to students with disabilities. In addition to reviewing the different types of student-specific plans, the course describes the teacher’s responsibility to implement those plans and document the student’s progress.

Pub Code: 330079


Strategies for Identifying and Preventing Low-Level Aggression From Escalating in Your School

This course covers low-level aggression and its major role in setting the trend for increased aggression. It addresses what low-level aggression is, why it is tolerated in schools, and why it is a dangerous path that jeopardizes school safety and teaches students negative habits. The course also provides examples of low-level aggression and practical strategies to prevent it from happening.

Pub Code: 330082


Compliance and Practical Strategies for Educating Twice-Exceptional Students

This course provides an overview of how federal special education laws apply to academically gifted students with disabilities, or "twice-exceptional" students. It explains which students qualify as twice-exceptional, identifies common child find barriers, and discusses how districts can ensure compliant evaluations and eligibility determinations. This course also looks at ways to ensure those students receive all services to which they are entitled.

Pub Code: 330083


Co-Teaching Essentials to Maximize Educational Benefit for Students With Disabilities

This course provides an understanding of co-teaching essentials, what co-teaching partners need to know about students’ educational rights and learning needs, and how to collaborate to deliver appropriate instruction in a co-teaching environment so students can receive FAPE. The course also includes hypothetical scenarios that illustrate how to address, and prevent, issues that commonly arise in co-taught classrooms.

Pub Code: 330087


Predetermination in the IEP Process: What It Is and How to Avoid It

This course describes the types of actions and communications by IEP team members that can lead to predetermination and/or predetermination complaints, as well as those they should engage in with each other and with parents to reduce predetermination claims. The course also details how to involve parents in the IEP process and document the district’s efforts to offer parents meaningful opportunities to participate.

Pub Code: 330088

LRE/INCLUSION

Co-Teaching Essentials to Maximize Educational Benefit for Students With Disabilities

This course provides an understanding of co-teaching essentials, what co-teaching partners need to know about students’ educational rights and learning needs, and how to collaborate to deliver appropriate instruction in a co-teaching environment so students can receive FAPE. The course also includes hypothetical scenarios that illustrate how to address, and prevent, issues that commonly arise in co-taught classrooms.

Pub Code: 330087

NEW STAFF

The Privacy Act and the DoDEA: What Paraprofessionals Need to Know

This course will quickly train paraprofessionals on the relevant provisions of the Privacy Act that apply to schools funded and run by the DoDEA. With sample scenarios and explanations of must-know definitions, safeguarding and disclosure requirements, and parent access and amendment rights, paraprofessionals gain the knowledge to work with student data and records without violating federal privacy mandates.

Pub Code: 350032


Instructional Strategies for Teachers: What Works in the Classroom

Designed for teachers, this course explains how education law defines the term “scientifically based research” and how to select practices and programs that are scientifically research-based. It also provides proven instructional strategies teachers can use, including those that are effective when teaching students with disabilities.

Pub Code: 300313T.011

Communicating With Parents: Tips and Strategies for Teachers

This course provides teachers with strategies to communicate with parents in the education setting, while protecting students' and parents' privacy rights and avoiding discrimination in communications. It covers ways to build relationships with parents, reduce tension during IEP meetings, and appropriately share information on social media.

Pub Code: 330080

PARAPROFESSIONALS

Understanding the Unique Needs of Students With Autism: Intervention Strategies for Paraprofessionals

This course covers the characteristics, prevalence, and communication needs of children with autism, as well as research-based strategies and instructional practices that paraprofessionals can use effectively in the school setting.

Pub Code: 350012


Disciplinary Considerations Under Section 504 vs. IDEA: Students Involved in Drugs, Violence or Weapons

This course discusses several areas in which the disciplinary protections that administrators must provide to students with disabilities differ depending on whether the student is eligible under the IDEA or the student is covered under Section 504 but not the IDEA. The course seeks to provide district- and school-level administrators with an understanding of which students are entitled to which safeguards, as well as administrators’ options for removing a student who brings a weapon, alcohol, or drugs to school or poses a physical danger to others.

Pub Code: 330022


Roles, Responsibilities, Professional Practices, and Ethics for Paraprofessionals

This course provides an introduction to the IDEA and its requirements relating to the role, training, and supervision of paraprofessionals. It outlines the major roles and responsibilities of a paraprofessional and guidelines for working in all settings. Topics covered include following policies and procedures, following the chain of command with questions and/or issues, and how to provide positive role models for students with special needs.

Pub Code: 350001


Student Physical and Emotional Health & Safety Guidelines for Paraprofessionals

For the paraprofessional, student health and safety must be an overarching goal and concern. Covering physical health and safety as well as emotional safety, this course explains paraprofessionals’ responsibilities and provides guidelines for paraeducators related to active supervision, universal precautions for health, and response protocols for specific health issue events. It also covers bullying prevention and response as well as crisis prevention and intervention protocols.

Pub Code: 350002


IDEA and Section 504: Key Components and Implications for Paraprofessionals

This course examines the key components of the IDEA and Section 504, including eligibility requirements, procedural guidelines and safeguards, the standards of FAPE under each law, and the necessary elements of both IEPs and Section 504 plans. It also addresses the paraprofessional's role in ensuring that FAPE is delivered to students with disabilities, and the specific knowledge and skills paraprofessionals should have to do their jobs effectively and in compliance with the law.

Pub Code: 350003


The Paraprofessional's Support Role in IEP Development and Implementation

This course reviews the IEP development process; the component parts of the IEP; the legal principles and procedures involved in implementing the plan, including all mandated timelines; and the role of the paraprofessional as a service provider. It also explains the IEP components that are most critical to the work of the paraprofessional, including annual goals, accommodations, modifications, behavior plans, and LRE instructional settings.

Pub Code: 350004


Responsibilities for Paraprofessionals in Implementing IEP Annual Goals, Accommodations and Modifications

This course covers two important components of the IEP for students eligible for special education and related services under the IDEA — annual goals and accommodations/modifications — providing examples, recommendations, and guidance specific to the paraprofessional’s responsibilities.

Pub Code: 350005


Promoting Independence and Achievement: How Paraprofessionals Can Support Learners Within Instructional Models

This course covers general education instructional designs and recommended practices for compliance with IDEA mandates for interventions provided by paraprofessionals. It reviews specific techniques and strategies paraprofessionals can use to increase learner independence and achievement.

Pub Code: 350006


Collaboration and Communication: Guidelines and Strategies for Paraprofessional Participation in Instructional Teams

This course outlines the role of various collaborative teams and team members and provides guidelines for the paraprofessional in building and maintaining trusting and respectful relationships within each. Guidance for participation and information sharing is provided, as well as tips for team relationship-building and managing conflict.

Pub Code: 350007


Guidance for Paraprofessionals in Identifying Early Childhood Developmental Milestones

This course provides examples of the types of supports that may be provided through an individualized family service plan (IFSP) by paraprofessionals as well as suggested strategies that are appropriate for infants and toddlers in the areas of language, literacy, communication, numeracy, and social and sensory motor skills.

Pub Code: 350008


Foster School/Family Collaboration by Developing Cultural Reciprocity

This course covers the role that families play in supporting the education of their family member with a disability and the role of schools, including paraprofessionals, in fostering collaborative home/school relationships that support student success. It also examines potential barriers to communication and ways to break down those barriers.

Pub Code: 350009


Strategies and Guidelines for Paraprofessionals Serving Students With SLD and ADHD

This course covers two IDEA eligibility categories: specific learning disability (SLD) and other health impairment (OHI) (to the extent that OHI covers attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)). Characteristics, possible etiologies, legal mandates, strategies, and impacts on families are included for each disability category. This course also addresses the roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals in supporting students with SLD and ADHD.

Pub Code: 350010


Instructional Strategies and Guidelines for Paraprofessionals Supporting Students With Speech and Language Impairments

This course covers the special education eligibility category of speech and language impairment, including possible symptoms, types of impairment, prevalence, etiology, and support strategies paraprofessionals can use for each type and category. The range of severity that is represented by the students is discussed, along with the communication implications for each type of impairment.

Pub Code: 350011


Research-Based Strategies for Paraprofessionals Educating Students With Intellectual or Multiple Disabilities

This course is designed for paraprofessionals who work with students both in general education and special education instructional and non-instructional school settings. The special education eligibility category of intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities is reviewed, including characteristics commonly associated with each category of disability, placement options, and strategies for support.

Pub Code: 350013


Guidance for Paraprofessionals When Supporting the Needs of Students With Emotional Disturbances

Emotional disturbance (ED) is one of the 13 categories of disability that can qualify a student for special education and related services under the IDEA. This course reviews characteristics commonly present in students with ED, placement options in light of the IDEA’s least restrictive environment (LRE) mandate, and strategies that paraprofessionals can use to support these students.

Pub Code: 350014


Strategies for Paraprofessionals in Supporting Individualized Health Plans and Students' Health and Safety Needs

This course covers the creation and implementation of individualized health plans (IHPs), as well as procedures for paraprofessionals in supporting students with physical or health needs requiring invasive or noninvasive treatments.

Pub Code: 350016


Guidelines for Paraprofessionals to Support Instruction of Students With Deaf-Blindness

This course covers the IDEA eligibility category of deaf-blindness, including characteristics, prevalence, and etiology. Paraprofessionals will understand the functional and adaptive skills for students with deaf-blindness and how to tailor support to each student’s unique strengths and deficits.

Pub Code: 350017


Positive Behavioral Supports and Interventions: Guidance for Paraprofessionals on Disciplining Students With Disabilities

This course covers the policies and laws that govern disciplinary actions for students in special education, including the MDR process and change of placement considerations. It describes the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), functional behavior assessments (FBAs), and the development of a behavioral intervention plan (BIP), including the role of the paraprofessional in implementing a BIP. Basic tenets of behavior management, classroom management, and behavior data collection are also reviewed.

Pub Code: 350018

The Paraprofessional's Role in Student Assessment and Data Collection to Support the Needs of Students With Disabilities

This course covers data collection for determining present levels of performance and monitoring progress for students receiving special education supports and services. Details regarding anecdotal records, types of data collection, methods of collection, and strategies paraprofessionals can use when collecting data are all covered.

Pub Code: 350019


Core Standards Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning Strategies for Paraprofessionals in Supporting Students with Disabilities

This course provides a foundation for paraprofessionals who support students with special needs in accessing the core curriculum, with information about general education grade-level curriculum and learning targets based on state and national standards. The major focus areas for the standards as well as the requirement under the IDEA for IEP goals to be linked to grade-level standards is explained. Learning phases, instructional techniques that are evidence-based, and learning strategies are also covered.

Pub Code: 350020


The Paraprofessional's Role in Integrating Students With Disabilities Into General Education Settings

This course reviews the role of the paraprofessional in the integration of students with special needs into general education instructional settings, and addresses techniques for physical access, social connections, and independent functioning. Universal access strategies as well as differentiation techniques will be described, including accommodations and modifications as determined by the IEP team.

Pub Code: 350021


A Paraprofessional's Guide to Field Trips and Extracurricular Activities for Students With Disabilities

This course addresses what paraprofessionals need to know about schools' responsibilities for ensuring that students with disabilities have an equal chance to participate in field trips and extracurricular activities. Topics covered include accommodations, transportation, service animals, safety issues, medical concerns, and when students may not be allowed to participate.

Pub Code: 350022


A Paraprofessional's Role in Understanding and Contributing to the Manifestation Determination Review Process Under IDEA

This course explains the MDR process under the IDEA in terms of what paraprofessionals need to know. It covers the key steps in the MDR process and the ways in which paraprofessionals may participate in the process and help the MDR team make an appropriate determination about whether a student's disciplinary violation is related to his disability.

Pub Code: 350023


Guidance for Paraprofessionals: Disciplinary Considerations for Students With Disabilities Involved in Drugs, Violence or Weapons

This course discusses how the IDEA and Section 504 affect the discipline of students with disabilities. It provides paraprofessionals with an understanding of students' disciplinary protections; when a school can remove a student because of drugs, weapons, or violence; and how to spot and report warning signs of misconduct.

Pub Code: 350024


A Paraprofessional's Guide to Addressing Bullying and Harassment Involving Students With Disabilities

This course addresses bullying and harassment at school that can rise to the level of disability discrimination under Section 504. It provides plain-language training for paraprofessionals to understand, respond to, and help address bullying involving students with disabilities, including appropriate actions paraprofessionals may take when they become aware of bullying or harassment.

Pub Code: 350025


For Paraprofessionals: FERPA, Student Privacy and Education Records

This course focuses on the FERPA rule requiring school staff, including paraprofessionals, to obtain prior written parental consent before sharing education records with third parties. It covers who has rights under FERPA, the definition of education records, the parental consent rule, and how these confidentiality requirements affect paraprofessionals. This course also reviews the exceptions to the "parental consent" rule.

Pub Code: 350026


Best Practices for Paraprofessionals Regarding Restraint and Seclusion

This course provides an overview of seclusion and restraint as ways of addressing problem behaviors. It discusses the controversy surrounding their use in public schools and reviews the types of actions that qualify as seclusion and restraint. This course also covers the circumstances in which a paraprofessional may restrain or seclude a student with a disability, the paraprofessional's obligation to document these incidents, and proper documentation techniques.

Pub Code: 350027


What Paraprofessionals Need to Know About Service Animals in Schools

This course covers the Section 504/ADA requirements schools must follow for service animals, with a specific focus on information that paraprofessionals need to know when students or visitors have a service animal on campus or at school events.

Pub Code: 350028


What Paraprofessionals Need to Know About Accommodating Students With Food Allergies

This course provides paraprofessionals with an explanation of food allergies and what accommodations students with food allergies may receive under Section 504. It addresses the types of exposure that may trigger an allergic reaction, and what steps a paraprofessional may need to take if a reaction occurs. This course also provides examples of the most common accommodations for students with food allergies, and explains how those accommodations may be implemented by paraprofessionals in the educational setting.

Pub Code: 350029


What Paraprofessionals Need to Know About Transporting Students With Disabilities

This course covers issues that may impact students with disabilities during school bus rides and while maneuvering around campus. Paraprofessionals learn their responsibilities in loading and unloading students on to the bus, implementing the IEP while on the bus, and accessibility into and around school buildings.

Pub Code: 350030


Strategies for Paraprofessionals When Communicating With Parents, Teachers and School Staff

This course provides information and strategies for paraprofessionals, whether they have years of experience or are just starting out, to use as they communicate with students' parents or other family members, and with other school staff, including teachers, service providers, IEP team members, and administrators. Key federal privacy requirements are reviewed so paraprofessionals understand what kinds of information about the student they can and cannot disclose, to whom, and under what circumstances.

Pub Code: 350031


The Privacy Act and the DoDEA: What Paraprofessionals Need to Know

This course will quickly train paraprofessionals on the relevant provisions of the Privacy Act that apply to schools funded and run by the DoDEA. With sample scenarios and explanations of must-know definitions, safeguarding and disclosure requirements, and parent access and amendment rights, paraprofessionals gain the knowledge to work with student data and records without violating federal privacy mandates.

Pub Code: 350032


The Paraprofessional's Role in Reinforcing Students' Use of Social and Emotional Learning Skills

This course provides an overview of Social and Emotional Learning, explaining the five core competencies for SEL and relating each SEL competency to children while providing a rationale of why it is important. This course also provides paraprofessionals with SEL strategies they can use to support and interact with students.

Pub Code: 350033


The Paraprofessional's Role in Title IX Sexual Harassment Reports, Grievance Procedures and Investigations

o This course covers the basic provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, reviewing definitions of key terms, such as sexual harassment; the situations in which a school has notice of potential sexual harassment; and the steps paraprofessionals may need to take to report sexual harassment. This course also reviews the role a paraprofessional may play during a Title IX investigation.

Pub Code: 350034


Classroom Practices for Paraprofessionals to Promote Educational Equity

This course explains what educational equity is and discusses the difference between equity and equality. It covers the paraprofessional’s role and duties in educational equity, details how paraprofessionals can teach with equity in the classroom, and covers issues related to discipline and communication.

Pub Code: 350035

PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS

What Every Administrator Needs to Know About Stay-Put Under the IDEA

This course reviews the IDEA's stay-put provision, explaining districts’ stay-put obligations, the identification of the student's "current educational placement," possible modifications to stay-put placements, the duration of stay-put rights, IEP reviews during stay-put, and stay-put issues affecting specific student populations.

Pub Code: 330029


Administrators' Responsibilities for Meeting IDEA Parental Consent Rules

This course reviews a district's duty to obtain parental consent before conducting certain IDEA-related activities. It covers the definition of "consent," activities that require parental consent, the documentation of consent, the steps a district may take when a parent fails to give consent, and the steps a district must take when a parent revokes consent.

Pub Code: 330071


Legal Requirements and Best Practices for Prior Written Notice

This course provides an in-depth look at the prior written notice requirement found in the IDEA. It discusses the types of actions that require prior written notice, the timing of notices, and content requirements. It also reviews the district's duty to use language the parents can understand, identifies common drafting errors, and gives an overview of the procedures a district should follow when delivering prior written notice.

Pub Code: 330018

Dispute Resolution and Available Remedies Under the IDEA

This course covers the five methods of resolving disputes that arise under the IDEA — mediation, due process hearings, resolution meetings, state complaints, and judicial review — and explains when each method is available and who may initiate the proceeding. It also covers the remedies available both to parents and districts, and the circumstances under which specific remedies, such as attorney's fees, may be ordered.

Pub Code: 330069


Grievance Procedures and Investigations of Sexual Harassment Under the Title IX 2020 Regulations

This course explains the basic provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as implemented by the 2020 regulations. Specifically, this course reviews the definitions of key terms, such as sexual harassment; the situations in which a school has notice of potential sexual harassment; and the steps districts must have in place to respond to allegations of sexual harassment. It also reviews the required components of a district's grievance procedures.

Pub Code: 330084


Conducting Appropriate and Compliant Threat Assessments for Students With Disabilities

This course reviews the purpose and components of a threat assessment, as well as students’ related rights under the IDEA, Section 504, and ADA Title II. Additionally, this course outlines best practices to ensure staff properly consider students' disability-related needs and comply with these laws during the threat assessment process.

Pub Code: 330085

RTI

RTI Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation

This course explores response to intervention as it relates to data collection, analysis, and interpretation. It covers the purpose of RTI as a model for assessment and intervention; ways to collect, analyze, and interpret data; and how to develop short-term goals.

Pub Code: 330010

Selecting and Implementing Evidence-Based Interventions Within an RTI Framework

This course explores the background of and reasoning for using evidence-based interventions within a response-to-intervention framework. It covers characteristics of evidence-based interventions, including examples of reading and mathematics strategies, and how to select appropriate interventions for students that meet legal requirements.

Pub Code: 330019

SECTION 504

Disciplinary Considerations Under Section 504 vs. IDEA: Students Involved in Drugs, Violence or Weapons

This course discusses several areas in which the disciplinary protections that administrators must provide to students with disabilities differ depending on whether the student is eligible under the IDEA or the student is covered under Section 504 but not the IDEA. The course provides district- and school-level administrators with an understanding of which students are entitled to which safeguards, as well as administrators’ options for removing a student who brings a weapon, alcohol, or drugs to school or poses a physical danger to others.

Pub Code: 330022


IDEA and Section 504: Key Components and Implications for Paraprofessionals

This course examines the key components of the IDEA and Section 504, including eligibility requirements, procedural guidelines and safeguards, the standards of FAPE under each law, and the necessary elements of both IEPs and Section 504 plans. It also addresses the paraprofessional's role in ensuring that FAPE is delivered to students with disabilities, and the specific knowledge and skills paraprofessionals should have to do their jobs effectively and in compliance with the law.

Pub Code: 350003


Addressing Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy to Provide FAPE Under the IDEA and Section 504

This course trains staff on identifying chronic absenteeism and truancy, when your district's child find duty may be triggered, and when a chronically absent or truant student may be eligible under the IDEA or Section 504. The course also outlines how to develop an educational plan and placement to ensure students receive FAPE.

Pub Code: 330091


Child Find: Understanding Section 504 Provisions and Responsibilities

This course explains districts’ responsibilities under Section 504 to locate, identify, and refer children with disabilities for modifications in the classroom and during other aspects of their school experience.

Pub Code: 330002


Making School Accessible: Practical Ways to Achieve Section 504 and ADA Compliance

This course covers what accessibility requirements are in place for schools and districts and ways that staff — including teaching staff and facilities maintenance staff — can make sure that school programs and activities are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Pub Code: 330011


Understanding Section 504 Eligibility and How It Works in Schools

This course explains what Section 504 eligibility is and what it means in the day-to-day operation of schools, classrooms, and students’ academic lives. It covers the process of making an eligibility determination, the steps staff should take in eligibility determinations, as well as staff responsibilities following the eligibility determination.

Pub Code: 330014


Field Trips and Extracurricular Activities Under Section 504

This course addresses schools' responsibilities to students with disabilities for ensuring their equal opportunity to participate in field trips and extracurricular activities. It also covers what schools need to know about topics relevant to field trips and extracurricular activities such as accommodations, transportation, service animals, safety, medical concerns, and when students can be prohibited from participating.

Pub Code: 330021


Best Practices to Prevent Section 504 Retaliation

This course explores the topic of retaliation under Section 504 so that it will be understandable to administrators and similar education professionals who may be new to the job, learning more about Section 504, or unfamiliar with what retaliation is. It examines how schools’ actions may lead to Section 504 retaliation and provides strategies to prevent staff from engaging in retaliation or actions that could be perceived as retaliation.

Pub Code: 330024


Legal Requirements and Practical Considerations for the Use of Restraint and Seclusion

This course covers how federal laws, particularly IDEA and Section 504, impact special education professionals' use of restraint and seclusion techniques in special education. This course also addresses practical steps administrators and staff members can take to ensure that the use of restraint and seclusion in their schools is legally compliant, consistent with the terms of a student’s IEP or 504 plan, and thoroughly documented.

Pub Code: 330027


Use of Service Animals in Schools

This course covers the legal requirements schools must follow when a student, parent, visitor, or employee seeks to use a service animal during school activities. It explains what a service animal is; details strategies for accommodating individuals with service animals; and identifies best practices for responding to service animal requests and addressing challenges, including when one person's need for a service animal conflicts with another person's allergy.

Pub Code: 330028


The Role and Responsibilities of Section 504 Team Members

The course explains what a Section 504 team is, who is a part of the team, and what the team’s job is. It also provides guidance on what the members must do to fulfill their role in the Section 504 meeting and how to ensure meetings are run effectively.

Pub Code: 330032


Accommodations and Standards for Testing and Grading Under Section 504

This course covers how schools must grade and test students with disabilities to comply with Section 504. It addresses topics that include grading standards, grade reporting, testing accommodations, and reporting the results of testing.

Pub Code: 330034

Collecting and Using Data to Improve IEPs, BIPs and Section 504 Plans

This course covers why teams must collect data, who should collect the information, and how to collect it to improve IEP, Section 504 plan, and BIP development and revision. It also covers how to use data to make educational decisions. Note that this course does not delve into data collection in the RTI process.

Pub Code: 330065


When and How to Accommodate Students With Food Allergies Under Section 504

This course provides educators with an understanding of how to accommodate students with food allergies under Section 504. It addresses which students qualify for a Section 504 plan, the process of developing the plan, and practical steps for ensuring students with food allergies remain safe at school and are not excluded from school programs and activities because of their allergies.

Pub Code: 330068


Meeting the Needs of Students With Diabetes Under Section 504

This course explains how to develop and implement appropriate accommodations for students with diabetes under Section 504. It addresses which students qualify for a 504 plan, the process of developing the plan, who may administer a child’s medication, and practical steps educators can take to help keep students with diabetes safe at school and ensure they receive the accommodations they need to participate in school and extracurricular activities.

Pub Code: 330070


IDEA, Section 504 and FAPE Issues When Transporting Students With Disabilities

This course covers issues that may impact students with disabilities during school bus rides, including the length, duration, and conditions of bus rides and whether a bus aide or monitor is needed for a student to receive FAPE. Student pick-up and delivery, the shortening of academic instructional time to accommodate bus schedules, and the impact of inclement weather are also covered.

Pub Code: 330075


Ensuring Substitute Staff Are Certified and Prepared to Serve Students With Disabilities

This course covers issues that arise when substitute teachers and other school personnel are given responsibility for students with disabilities. Those issues include using appropriately trained and certified individuals in the classroom and on the bus; ensuring substitute personnel understand their responsibilities for implementing IEPs, Section 504 plans, health care plans, and behavior plans; and planning ahead for extended teacher absences.

Pub Code: 330076


Meeting Section 504 Requirements to Identify and Serve Students With ADHD

This course covers the requirements for locating, identifying, and evaluating a child who is suspected of having ADHD and provides specific "red flags" that may indicate the need for an evaluation. It also addresses ADHD eligibility criteria, how to develop and implement appropriate accommodations for students with ADHD under Section 504, and when a Section 504 plan may need to be reviewed and revised.

Pub Code: 330077


IEP, 504 and MDR Meetings: Guidance for Staff Who Are New to Special Education

Designed for new general education and special education teachers, this course provides a foundational explanation of what takes place in meetings for special education students, whether they are students with IEPs or Section 504 plans or who are just being considered for special education eligibility.

Pub Code: 330078


Compliance and Practical Strategies for Educating Twice-Exceptional Students

This course provides an overview of how federal special education laws apply to academically gifted students with disabilities, or "twice-exceptional" students. It explains which students qualify as twice-exceptional, identifies common child find barriers, and discusses how districts can ensure compliant evaluations and eligibility determinations. This course also looks at ways to ensure those students receive all services to which they are entitled.

Pub Code: 330083


Identifying Anxiety: When to Evaluate and Determining Eligibility Under the IDEA and Section 504

This course outlines best practices for identifying, locating, and evaluating students with anxiety that comply with the IDEA and Section 504. It also reviews how anxiety manifests, identifiers to watch out for, and how to determine when a student's anxiety qualifies as a disability. Finally, this course provides strategies and short real-life scenarios illustrating how to meet students’ needs with accommodations, supports, and services.

Pub Code: 330086


A Teacher's Role in the Manifestation Determination Review Process Based on Section 504

This course explores teachers' obligations with respect to the MDR process for students who are eligible under Section 504 but not under the IDEA. It covers essential steps for preparing for and conducting an MDR and the ways in which teachers can contribute to the process and assist the team in reaching an accurate conclusion.

Pub Code: 350015


Determining Related Services and Accommodations for Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries

This course explains what traumatic brain injuries are, reviews IDEA and Section 504 eligibility requirements, and offers best practices in accommodating students with TBIs.

Pub Code: 330081

TITLE I

Title I Annual Meeting Requirements: Engagement, Content, and Allowable Costs

This course provides a thorough overview of requirements for the Title I annual meeting. It outlines steps to plan a compliant meeting and provides creative solutions to common problems, such as lack of meeting participation. It also explains how to stay compliant when spending funds to facilitate parent participation.

Pub Code: 340000


Homeless Student Services and Allowable Funding Under Title1, Part A

This course explores the legal obligations of educational agencies for providing education-related services to homeless children and youths that are comparable to their housed peers. It also covers what costs are allowable for services under Title I, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Pub Code: 340001

Key Roles and Strategies in Identifying and Enrolling Homeless Students

The course explains the rights of children and youths experiencing homelessness to be immediately enrolled in school, whether those students meet or do not meet typical enrollment requirements. It also includes a section on services that, by law, must be provided or made available to homeless students.

Pub Code: 340002


Funding Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning With ESSA Funds

This course explains the relationship between SEL and the ESEA, and how ESEA funding can support and sustain an SEL program. It covers how to identify sources of funding, what makes a program evidence-based and what kind of evidence is sufficient, and how to evaluate if your SEL program is working.

Pub Code: 340003

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